Dreams Of Memories
by ScratchDevious
Summary: Something terrible happens to Kagome and she is found unconcious outside of a rich business man's manor. She stays there while she recovers her memory, and soon horrible events from her past are revealed even while love blooms in the present...
1. Chapter One: Meeting

Hey everyone! Welcome to my first fanfiction! Wow...this is going to be crazy. I know this is starting kind of slow, but I am setting everything up for the good stuff. I already have more of it written, but I want to make sure people want to read it first...please review and I'll update as soon as possible.

This story is Kag/Sess...his last name is Slater in this, cuz it was a good company name. Inuyasha will not be included most likely, in less I feel like it later on.

In the next chap. Kags learns more about her past, and finally meets Sessho-maru, so review!

Disclaimer: All characters are the property of Rumiko Takashi...

**Dreams Of Memories **

Chapter One: Meeting

Too much pain…everything is dark and foggy…I am stumbling…through mud. Do I feel rain?...bright flashes…lightning…they are blinding me…pain...unbearable…mud is all around me….I am on the ground….I'm not moving, I can't…is this the end…the end of me?

No…my mind cracks…something is missing…I see the brown ground…a big building against the dark sky….safety. Stone. Safe….I hope….

It was dark. What happened? I tried to move, to jump up, but I couldn't move…I couldn't speak. Who was I? What HAPPENED?

A shriek tore at my throat, and I clawed at some sort of smooth cloth wrapped around me. Horror rose in my stomach as I struggled with myself, and my eyes flew open, but the light only frightened me further.

I screeched again and again, I couldn't find any words…they were gone. I was gone.

I didn't hear a door bang open, I didn't even know anyone was there, until the someone grabbed my wrists, pinning me against the bed I realized was beneath me.

This frustrated me more. I became violent, trying to scratch at the hands, but they were too strong. I was about to bite when I met pure golden, flashing eyes. For some reason I instantly relaxed, thinking, 'not blue…not blue'. I lied back down, un-arching my back, shuddering gasps making my chest heave. The grip on my wrists loosened, and I was asleep again.

The next time I woke up I felt bitter. I opened my eyes, the sharp light hurting, and stared at the white ceiling. A sort of resentful peace filled me. I knew that I could not speak.

I also decided there, staring blankly, that would not think about my bits of painful memory. I didn't think I wanted to remember what happened, even if I could.

So who was I?

I had a sudden thought…I could be whoever I wanted. Whatever previous life I'd had was gone. I was facing a new beginning.

A light knock sounded nearby. I looked over, down a row of similar beds, to the simple white door, with a small window in it. I could see white hair through it. Apparently the knock had been only a warning, as a small woman in black and white entered.

"I see you're awake. Goodness, but you've been the topic this week. Almost as much of a mystery to match this place, and a newer one, yet. Mr. Slater has asked me to make sure you're alright, get your basics and supply you with transportation." She spoke fluently and pleasantly, in a practiced sort of way. "My goodness, when you were brought in, we didn't think you were alive, but look at you now! You're fair beautiful when you're cleaned up a bit."

I looked at her, confused by much of what she'd just said.

"Oh, I'm sorry, my name's Kaede. You're in the infirmary hall of the head of Slater Corp.'s private estate. Now," Her tone turned businesslike. "May I get your name?" She poised a pencil over a clipboard that had been attached to the end of my bed. "Dear, are you listening?"

I nodded.

"What's your name?"

Suddenly, a sort of audio recording ran through me…

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"What's you're name and age?" A man's voice…

"Uh…I'm Kagome. I'm seventeen."

"FULL name miss." The man sounded condescending, and as if he had to ask these sorts of questions daily, because his tone was quite bored.

"Oh, sorry-"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Your name?" Kaede asked me again, squinting at me with her wrinkled eyes.

I tried to croak it out, but a horrible grinding noise shattered the air in its place. I quickly stopped trying to speak; I obviously couldn't. I sounded like a wounded hippo.

"Well- how about you write it?" She asked kindly.

I took the clipboard. I could only fill in two of the blanks, my age and first name.

"Last name, Date of Birth? Height, weight? Address?" She asked after she had scanned my work.

I stared at her, then shrugged.

She clucked and helped me out of bed. I was wearing a hospital gown, in a washed out green, and the holes in the back where the ties were gave me chills. We went across the white linoleum floor, through the door she had come in, to a front office. On one side there was a scale and a mirror, which is where Kaede led me.

On my way to the scale, I caught sight of myself in the mirror, stopped short, and let out a garbled noise of shock.

The person in the mirror was so alien. So unfamiliar, unreal, and awkward. I moved my arm, and almost felt I was watching someone else mimicking me, rather than my reflection in the mirror. The girl was dark-haired with warm brown eyes.

And a few minutes later, I found out that she was 120 pounds and 5 feet 8 inches tall.

"Have you been eating nothing but air!" Kaede scolded sternly.

I shrugged again.

"Well, come on." She said, taking my hand and leading me to another door. It led to a long hallway, which we followed, and then down a long flight of stairs, and then halfway down another hall. "We are going to get you some food from the kitchen."

She stopped in from of a set of swinging metal doors, into the largest kitchen I thought I'd ever seen.

The room was almost twice the size of the infirmary. There were stoves and microwaves and freezers and fridges lining the walls, split up by stainless steel counters and cupboards. There were long tables down the middle, with cutting boards on top, and more storage space beneath. Pots and pans hung from the ceiling.

For such a huge space, it was spotless, and there were only five people, and at the far end of one of the two counters running the length of the room. They were eating from a plate of cookies. They finally noticed us, and their chatter ceased as we approached.

"This is pretty much the rest of the staff. Mr. Slater likes his privacy." Kaede explained. The others rose. I realized I was still wearing my flimsy hospital gown, and I blushed a little.

"Hey," A young man finally said. He was only a little taller than me, with short brown hair and bright blue eyes. "I'm Hojo, kitchen duty." I smiled cautiously at him.

"My name's Sango." Another girl offered. She had the longest black hair I'd ever seen, and smiled nicely at me. She looked a bit older than me. "I'm a maid here, for college tuition."

Another woman, who looked closer to her mid-twenties stepped forward and shook my hand. "I'm Kagura, Slater's secretary." She had dark hair, tightly wound up, and eerie eyes that looked almost red. She had a suitcase resting against her stool.

"Careful, I have a theory she's actually and FBI agent." A second guy, a bit older than me, whispered in my ear. He grinned; he had short black hair, and so-blue-they-were-nearly-purple eyes.

"I can show you around a little…if you want." He winked, I turned bright red. "OW!"

"Sorry about him," Sango pulled him a way from me. "He does that a lot. His name is Miroku, he's Mr. Slater's personal assistant."

A little boy with reddish hair tugged on Kagura's hand. "Oh, this is Slater's distant nephew, Shippo. He's staying with us a few days."

He looked at me with wide green eyes. "Who are you?"

"This is Kagome." Kaede announced. Then she turned to me. "You'll meet the cook later. He only does breakfast and dinner, so we're all on our own for lunch."

I gestured to myself.

"You?"

I sighed, and found a notepad and pencil magnetically attached to a fridge. I wrote, I can make lunch if you want.

"You remember…?" Kaede began.

I shook my head and wrote, No, but I can read directions on the back of a Ramen package.

The others smiled at me hopefully. "If you don't mind?" Hojo spoke out. "Usually we just eat junk food…"

I smiled.

PLEASE REVIEW! I'll love you forever and give you a browkie (they are my favorite thing...two gigantamongus cookies in a sandwich with brownie in the middle)!


	2. Chapter Two: Starting

Wow, you guys are sooooooooo awesome for reviewing…

Wow, you guys are sooooooooo awesome for reviewing…

Evil-chan: Thanks! I love your long review, and I have plenty of twists and turns to keep it interesting. I do feel like it's starting out slow though, but it will soon pick-up the pace…no worries!

raspberrysorbet: Yeah, she has amnesia. Sorry if I didn't make it very clear…I didn't want to make it too blunt, you know?

Sonja Mascari: I am trying not to make it a typical fanfiction fluff, although I do like them. And I hate stories when every other word is spelled wrong, it just takes away from the plot…and my best friend has been correcting me since I was 2. I have been trained. Thanks a lot for the compliments!

I am uploading the second chapter so soon because I have it written, and I like it a lot more than the first, I feel like the story is moving forward a bit more. So here it is, and expect the third chapter up in a week! Keep reviewing please!

PLEASE READ:

- example. - means written.

"example" means spoken

'example' means mouthing, or thinking…I will specify

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters…even though I lurve them so!

Dreams of Memories: Chapter Two

After lunch they all had to go about their various jobs and Kaede took me back to the infirmary. I hated the blankness of the room, and Kaede could tell.

We soon established that I could probably stay at the manor until I had regained my memory. Kaede said that she could talk to Mr. Slater about it. As she went to talk to him I sat on my infirmary bed, staring off, watching the dust swirl in the sun coming in through the window…

Books…shelves, rooms of them…thousands…peaceful and solitary…I could almost smell their musty, familiar smell…

I snapped out of my daze, delightedly jumping up. I liked libraries! I wondered if there were any in the manor, since it was such a vast place…I ran out of the room, hoping to see Kaede approaching from down the hall, but to my surprise Hojo was there instead.

I hurried towards him, trying to convey my message, "ahhh…agh…ab-ooo…ch…booch-"

"Book?" Hojo guessed, looking startled at my voice.

I nodded and spread my arms wide. "la-la-lots." I managed happily.

"A library!" It dawned on him. "Sure, c'mon, it's huge!"

We took a series of hallways and staircases before ending up in front of two oak doors.

"The only time this is off limits is really late at night. Slater comes here then, to be more alone than he already is." Hojo warned me, his voice almost bitter, and creaked the door open.

There were shelves upon shelves of millions, even billions, of books. They were packed all the way to the high ceiling, almost forty feet overhead. Balconies and circular stairs provided access to every level.

There was a grand carpeted staircase at the opposite end of the spacious room, leading to the enormous window overlooking the grey sea. It took up almost the entire wall.

I almost stumbled in, not looking where I was going, looking at the vastness of the library. I went over to a nearby shelf, scanning a few titles, "Pride and Prejudice", "Interpretation of Dreams". The books seemed to be completely unorganized. I wondered if I'd read any of them before? I backed up, looking around again, then ran up the nearest stair, looking for more interesting titles.

I could here Hojo laughing at my eagerness. "You're too much," He said, sitting in one of the scattered armchairs.

I stayed on the balcony for a few moments more, picking out "The Count of Monte Christo", then found a chair near Hojo.

"Good choice. I've heard it's amazing."

I flicked on the lamp to read the first page, the sun was going down.

"Shoot," Hojo muttered. "It's getting late, I've gotta' go help with dinner. I'll tell Kaede where you are, so she won't worry." He got up, I shot him a thankful smile, and he left. Then he stuck his head back in, "Dinner's in an hour and a half." He pointed at an ancient clock at one edge of the room before disappearing.

I was so involved in my reading that I didn't notice how dark it had gotten, and when I finally looked up from my book at the grandfather clock, it had been almost an hour. I stood, stretched, and headed across the carpeted floor to the large window.

I stared out at the ocean for a little while before I noticed a second reflection, behind mine. I jumped, whirling around.

It was a man, maybe in his mid-twenties. He was much taller than me, with snowy white hair and intense golden eyes. He was wearing a dark grey expensive-looking suit.

"You must be…?" He asked evenly, in a pleasantly low voice.

I just looked at him.

"Kagome." He filled in the blank.

I nodded.

"What are you reading?" He asked flatly, noticing the book in my hand.

I held it up.

"Ah. My name is Sesso-maru."

'Slater.' I mouthed.

He looked vaguely surprised. "You have found me out already."

I smiled shyly at him.

"I think I will let you stay. But why are you not speaking?"

Kaede hadn't told him? I looked at him helplessly.

Suddenly he locked eyes with me. "When I found you at the gate you were mumbling something. Do you remember what it was?" I could tell by his expression that the question was vital to him, even though he masked it in indifference.

I shook my head.

"Ah well. Dinner." He said shortly, and I followed him out of the library, through the manor, and to a set of doors down the hall from the kitchen. He stopped before we entered, and turned, noticing what I was wearing. "Would you like something more comfortable?" He asked.

I nodded slowly.

He raked his eyes over me, assessing me, making me feel uncomfortable. "I think you are close to Kagura's size." He drew a cell phone from an inside pocket, flipping it open and pressing 3. "….yes, I need some suitable clothes for Miss Kagome….yes, that will be fine." He snapped the phone closed.

Hojo stuck his head out of the kitchen doors. "Kagome? Oh- Mr. Slater. I need to borrow her, Kaede wants to check her over before dinner."

"Of course. However, she needs to meet Kagura in her room in ten minutes."

"Yes sir."

Hojo took my hand and led me to the infirmary once again. Kaede gave me a quick check up before sending me three floors up to Kagura's quarters.

Hojo left me at the door, saying he'd pick me up in fifteen minutes to take me to the dining room.

Kagura ushered me into her room. Shippo was jumping on her bed, and as she passed she grabbed him around the waist gently, and set him down, giving him some crayons and some paper. Then she turned and sized me up. "You're a bit shorter than me, but your legs are longer…it's going to have to be a dress or a skirt." She turned and burrowed into her closet.

I crouched next to Shippo, he was drawing some sort of a plane-ish thing. He looked up and I smiled at him, and gave him a little wave. He gave me a crayon. "You can have red." He said seriously. I grinned and hugged him lightly, and then I began to draw. I was drawing the pupil of an eye when Kagura let out an "Ah-HAH."

She tugged a red roman-styled shirt and a short skirt out of the closet. "These are ok?" I nodded, and she shoved them at me, pushing me into the bathroom. Thank god I had my own underwear.

When I came out Kagura smiled approvingly. "Good fit…let me fix your hair a little. Oh! Shoes….what's your size?!"

I shrugged, and we soon discovered that she wore a size larger than me.

"Well, we can stop by Sango's on the way down. Now hold still."

Twenty minutes later I was on my way to the dining hall with Kagura, Sango, and Shippo. My clothes were more comfortable, but I felt self conscious in such a small skirt. Thankfully Kagura was in a short flowing dress, which made me feel a little better.

When we entered, Miroku and Hojo were the only ones missing. Kaede looked up and smiled at me. "Kagome, I told you you cleaned up nicely." I blushed as Slater looked up, his eyes flicking shortly over my body.

I resolved to wear more modest clothes from then on.

"Have a seat," Kagura pushed me forward as Hojo, and who I could only assume was the cook, a small withering man, carried the last of the food to the long table.

'Where?' I mouthed.

"Near me." Sango decided, starting to bring me to the table, but stopping in her tracks. I turned, confused. Miroku had come up behind her and put his hand dangerously low on her waist. Sango spun and smacked him across the face.

He removed his hand, grinning sheepishly, pinned by her glare, and slunk over to his seat.

Sango pointedly pulled me to the opposite side of the table. She smiled at my surprised look. "He does that a lot."

Hojo took the seat next to me. "You look great." He said. I smiled.

After dinner Kaede began to lead me to my new room, but Slater intercepted us, and insisted on taking me himself. As we began walking, he spoke to me in his low, smooth voice,

"From Kaede's observations, I believe your amnesia is due to shock. Kaede has found no external head injuries, but I would like her to check you over completely." I nodded as he led me through an archway into a stairwell.

He was silent for a few minutes, while we climbed two more flights of stairs, starting on a third.

"I have considered your situation. You may stay here. At least until you find out your past. We will have to order you more clothes. Your room is near Sango's, and Kagura's. Kaede's quarters are near the infirmary, and all the male employees sleep on the third floor, the level below you. I am located on the fifth, but I do not know why you would need to contact me."

As in, don't come to me first if you have a problem, I translated mentally.

I didn't mind, he was a busy man. I was a stray, and the others seemed nice enough.

"I would recommend," Slater said. "That you avoid the gardens, except the ones in the inner courtyard, the one with the pool. When I found you, you were extremely upset, and it may have been a person who caused the strain on your mind. Be alert."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

That night, after showering in the bathroom attached to my new bedroom, I caught sight of my naked back in the mirror by my dresser.

I dropped my towel, looked closer, and gasped. I had many scars, and some faded bruises. What had happened to me?

How could they have gotten there? Maybe somehow in the storm…but the scars were built up, in layers. They had happened over a long period of time. Had I been abused or something? I decided to bring it up with Kaede the next day, during my check-over.

I turned back around to fully face the mirror, and was once again surprised by the unfamiliar girl in the mirror, staring at me with those bright brown eyes.

She had quite long legs, and narrow hips. Her stomach was fairly flat, and her breasts weren't too small, or too large. Maybe a b or c cup. Her face was almost ovular, except for her nicely defined jaw and cheek-bones. Her nose was straight, with a slight curve at the end, giving her face energy.

But the girl's eyes were the most striking of all. They were large, but not bulbous, and framed by long, numerous lashed. They were penetrating, and very dark, especially when paired with her dark hair.

But then it hit me. It was extremely faint, but I had a bathing suit tan-line.

I tried to gauge the style. It was a two-piece, the top was two triangles, not too revealing, with light lines showing where two strings tied around the neck. The bottoms were more modest, they had no strings, and thick bands joined the front to the back.

So I liked swimming…I smiled at myself. Slater had mentioned a pool.

The next day I woke early. At the foot of my bed were clothes someone had left me, and a dry-erase board hung on my doorknob. The board was on a string, so I slung it over my shoulder after I had dressed, putting the marker that went with it into my shorts pocket. I grabbed my room keys on my way out to the infirmary for my check up.

It took me a while to figure out where I was going, but I eventually made my way back by backtracking first to the dining room hallway, and walking from there. As soon as I arrived, Kaede gave me a mini-tissue package.

'What?' I mouthed.

"To erase the board, I realized it after I left your room."

After my check-up, including examining my back, Kaede concluded two things, in her gruff voice:

She had no idea how I'd lost my memories, there was no physical evidence.

She did not know what the bruises were from.

She speculated about the second, however, and thought that maybe I'd been in a car accident, or abused.

I was sick of maybes. - I want to go swimming in the pool.-

She recommended that I go see Sango for a swimming suit, as well as company. Sango when swimming at least four times a week, for exercise, and was bound to have a spare bathing suit.

After wandering around the manor for a while, I finally found Sango's room. We soon had on suits and were on our way, towels wrapped around our waists.

On our way past the kitchen, Sango stopped abruptly. "Oh, I forgot breakfast. Can I grab something really quick?"

-Yeah, I forgot too.-

She smiled happily and pushed to doors open wide, with a bang against the walls.

The cook and Hojo dropped the plates they'd been washing into the sink, startled.

"Hey, you guys." Sango said, choosing to ignore their stares. "Any breakfast left?"

"O-only cinnamon rolls." Hojo sounded strangled as he watched us sit at the counter.

"Pervert…"Sango muttered, pulling up her towel a little. She noticed my blush. "Don't worry, the manor is so far out of they way, that we don't leave much. The guys don't really get out…I mean, Miroku is ALWAYS sexually frustrated."

That made me laugh.

"So are you two girls hitting the pool?" The little cook asked. "I'm Jaken, by the way."

I shook his wrinkled hand

Sango responded for us, "Uh-huh, we're headed that way." She took a cinnamon roll from the tray Hojo slid over to us, then graciously asked, "Hojo, do you want to come?"

"Sure." He seemed to have found his voice. "You two go ahead, I have to finish up here first."

"All right." Sango hopped off her counter stool.

I grabbed a roll and we headed for the door.

I sighed happily. The water was nice and cool. The pool was Olympic sized, with a round hot tub on one end. It was centered in a courtyard of trees and flowers, surrounded immediately by a low stone-wall border.

I was fooling around in the deep end while Sango floated nearby on an inflatable raft.

"You know what?" Sango said sleepily, "You should make a list of everything you know about yourself. I think everything is jumbled in the back of your head, so maybe organizing it a little will help you remember."

I made an agreeable noise and dove, kicking fluidly, to sit on the bottom. I held my breath until my lungs felt like they were burning, then pushed off the concrete, bursting through the silvery surface.

"17 mississippi's…not bad." Apparently Sango had been counting.

"Heeeeeeeey ladies!"

Sango twitched. "How'd Miroku find us?!"

We turned to the entrance, where Miroku was leering at us and Hojo was looking very guilty.

Miroku dropped his towel and sauntered over, smiling, before plunging into the water.

Hojo followed suit, but first he set his towel on a chair.

As Miroku swam over to Sango, I sat on the pool ladder, where Hojo joined me, and we watched the show.

We could here Sango hissing, "C'mere. C'mere Miroku, I'll beat you up…"

"Really?" He asked happily. "Will you have to straddle me to do it?"

With a gasp of indignant fury, Sango launched herself of the raft, right onto Miroku's head, pushing him underwater.

I let out a burst of surprised laughter. I noticed Hojo's startled look and covered my mouth.

"Oh, no…"He pulled my hands from my face. "That was a good sound…"

I blushed and smiled, even though I was a little uncomfortable.

We heard a gurgle, we turned, and found Miroku had come up for air.

"Wow…what a woman…" Miroku sighed. Then he noticed Hojo still had a hold of my hands and grinned innocently. "Are you two hooking up?"

Hojo gave him a look and my face burned.

Sango, who had gotten back on her raft, pushed Miroku under again with her foot. When he surfaced again, she scowled at him.

"All right…"He swam over, got out, and bowed on his knees. "Forgive me, my most exalted goddess."

I smiled and patted his head.

"It took me certainly longer than this to get them in line." Slater's voice said dryly. I turned to him, standing at the gate to the pool enclosure. He had on a black suit with a grey silk collared shirt and dark tie. Tinted sunglasses hid his unusual eyes.

Miroku scrambled to his feet.

"Yes Miroku, I need you. I have a lunch meeting. Can you go to my office and get my briefcase, then go into town and pick up the Zealen File? Grab the prototypes, while you are at it, they are in the bottom drawer of the file cabinet." I noticed then, in the bright relaxing sunlight, that Slater had a very particular way of speaking. So elegant and correct. He rarely used conjunctions and always spoke a bit coldly and emotionlessly, no matter who he was conversing with. "Although," Slater added. "You may want to change first."

"Yes sir." Miroku left, grabbing his towel.

"Lunch is in an hour." Slater said. Looking at him, acting like he was a forty year old man instead of only twenty four, I was suddenly struck by his condescending attitude. He noticed my stare and asked, "Is there a problem?"

I climbed from the water, retrieving my board from a table.

- You don't act your age, that's all. -

"And…?" He said icily.

- You should try it sometime. -

"I do not have the time." He said dismissively.

I began to get angry. I scribbled quickly.

- Well, you seem to have the time to sit and sulk in the library at odd hours. -

He practically glared at me, but kept his emotionless composure. "That is not your business."

- Maybe not, but it's still true. -

"What do you suggest then." He did not ask.

- Come swimming tomorrow. With us. -

"I will not. I have a preliminary overview in Michigan. We are opening a new research facility."

- When? -

"8 until 5."

- Then we'll go after dinner. -

"…" He realized he had no other excuse. "Fine. But you will have to have a taste of culture. A business associate of mine is having a gallery showing locally. You will all come."

- Deal. -

His icy demeanor in tact, he turned to leave. My hands still wet from the water, I spritzed water on the back of his neck.

He stiffened, and turned.

I smiled innocently at him.

He gave me a slightly confused look.

I smiled even wider.

He almost looked a bit amused, but he turned and left.

"Whoa." Sango came up beside me. "Slater almost….smiled. AND you got him wet. Do you know how expensive those suits are?"

"Yeah." Hojo agreed, looking at me incredulously.

- Why is he so cold all the time, anyway? -

Hojo and Sango exchanged looks.

"Not sure, really."

- Liars. -

"Well, we aren't completely sure." Sango amended.

"You see, we started working here a few months ago. All of us. Before, it was just Slater and Kaede, who was his nanny when he was little or something. Anyway, we all wondered why a guy in his twenties would be running a filthy rich corporation. With no immediate family?"

"So," Sango picked up the story. "We interrogated Kaede, but she respects the Slater family, and barely gave us any info. Apparently he used to have parents and a younger brother, only just a few years back. But something happened and now they're all gone or dead."

"Crazy, huh?" Hojo noticed my entranced look.

I nodded slowly, curiosity growing in my head. What had happened to me….and what had happened to Slater?


	3. Chapter Three: Lying

Uhm…hey you guys…

Uhm…hey you guys….hehehehe……I AM SO SORRY.

I have turned into those type of author which I hate, who say they will post, and then don't for two months. I've been sick for a few days, but I still could've posted, but I forgot….I'm going to try and get two chapters up to make up for it…

Disclaimer: These characters are property of Rumiko Takahashi…I wish they were mine…then I would have money to roll in like a little piggy!

**Dreams of Memories**

**Chapter Three: Lying**

As soon as we finished dinner the next day; Hojo, Sango, Miroku, and I dragged Slater to the pool.

The others had stripped off their outer clothing and jumped in, and I was about to do the same, when I noticed Slater was standing back, business suit still in place. I shot him and inquiring look and I slipped my shirt back on all the way, walking back to him.

"You didn't say I actually had to go in." He commented off-handedly.

I glared. He was lying and I hated liars. I grabbed my board

- You lied to me. –

He looked faintly amused at my anger. "I did not lie."

- Yes, you did. –

"I did not." He said, almost contemptuous.

- _Yes, you did.-_

"Avoiding the truth is not the same thing."

- Both are not telling the truth. Both are not HONEST. –

"I did not _lie_." His voice rose in volume very slightly, but the others still looked over in surprise.

I tugged his sleeve, giving him a pleading look, to get his attention to the issue at hand.

"Why do you wish for me to go in so badly?" He asked quietly, not sounding curious, but I knew he was.

I didn't know how to say what I wanted… - It's just, you seem so lonely. –

"I don't want YOUR pity." He hissed.

- No. I mean lonely, like me. - I felt a lump growing in my throat. - Like no one's the same, and no one can truly understand you the way you want them to. No one ever could. - I realized that I was starting to cry. Why was I crying?

Slater looked a bit uncomfortable. I didn't know if it was my words or my tears. I'd never seen him not know what to do before, in the short time I'd been around him. He awkwardly said, "Do not cry." It was almost like a command; he was not used to comforting people.

I took a shuddering breath and gave him a smile. He looked relieved I'd gotten a hold of myself.

"You all right?" It was Hojo, the others had been unsure what to do at Slater's unexpected show of humanity, and it had thrown us all off a bit.

"Yes." He answered for us.

"Coming in?" Miroku asked tentatively.

I nodded, then impulsively pushed Slater in.

After a few seconds he burst to the surface, his clothes swirling around him. He wordlessly climbed out, peeling off his sodden suit, revealing swim trunks beneath.

He stood in front of me, nailing me in place with his icy stare. Was he angry?

Lightning fast, he grabbed me and jumped in again. My last thought before we hit the water was, 'how un-Slater like…'

When we surfaced, I gave him a fake glare that quickly dissolved into laughter and Slater had the smallest curl at the corners of his lips.

The next day was back to normal. Slater had taken his jet back to Michigan to check out the beginning construction of two new research facilities.

The rest of us went about our daily jobs. Sango was all over the manor, since it was laundry day (I never understood why it was on a Thursday…), Hojo was prepping food for the weekend with Jaken in the kitchen, and Kagura and Miroku were accompanying Slater. Shippo was being dropped off at home on the way. Kaede had taken the day off to care for her younger sister Kikyou, who had the flu. Before she left, Kaede and I had picked a bouquet to bring to her.

I usually helped the others or read in the library. That Thursday I was helping Sango gather all the clothes, towels, and sheets from people's rooms. In the morning, everyone had put all their clothes in a bag (color coordinated by person, Kagura, for example, had a blue one) outside their door. All we had to do was grab it and throw it into the large cart we pushed, and sometimes rode, down the hallway.

It during this process that I discovered the Slater Manor had elevators. And I had been running up and down all those stairs…Sango said it was good exercise, anyway.

After we went through each floor, we took the elevator down to the basement, where there were two sets of washers and driers.

We unloaded a bag, sorted the clothes by color, and put one pile in the washer. Sango threw in some detergent. Then she pulled out a stack of magazines (which I was surprised to see were about Karate and Muy Thai fighting), a pad of paper, and a pen from a pocket in one side of the canvas cart.

We sat side by side on the washer and drier. She handed me the paper and pen, saying "Get to it.", and was soon absorbed in an article.

I looked at the first blank page for a minute, before writing:

What I Know:

1) I like reading and swimming.

2) I am around seventeen years of age.

3) I was either abused or in some sort of accident.

4) My first name.

I ran out of things to write so I flipped to the next page and wrote:

What I Want To Know:

1) Who my family is.

2) Why exactly my back is scarred.

3) Where I live.

4) Myself.

I ran out again and I couldn't remember anything. I underlined number four with ten furious lines, then slapped down the notepad in disappointment. Nothing triggered a memory. Sango gave me a sympathetic look over her magazine, and looked like she was about to say something when the washer beeped beneath me. Sango jumped, startled.

"Jeez." Sango hopped off the dryer, picking up her magazine that she'd dropped.

I opened the washer and passed her the clothing, which she stuck in the dryer.

"All right, next load." Sango announced.

I grabbed a dark bag from the laundry cart and dumped it out, sorting by color swiftly.

"I should pay you." Sango joked. "Oh, wait. These are Slater's, he never checks his pockets."

We went through quite a few pairs of suit pants, putting most aside for dry-cleaning. We ended up with fifty-seven dollars, three handkerchiefs, twelve pens (many made of silver), a pack of Altoids, a letter opener, and a bit of folded up paper. It looked like worn newspaper.

I was about to unfold it when the elevator doors opened with a mechanical bing. Slater emerged, neatly snatched the paper from my hands, and reentered the elevator.

I gave him a shocked look, and barely caught his calm response as the door slid shut,

"Business."

I knew he was lying.

-Ugh…what could it be?!-

I wrote furiously. Sango and I were lounging by the pool. She was positioned on a lawn chair behind me, while I lied near the edge of the water, my legs submerged. Every few minutes I would write something and hold it up over my head, so we could have a proper conversation.

"Who knows?" Sango said drowsily, not looking curious at all. I was beginning to get suspicious about her motivations for going to the pool four time a week. I had a feeling it was less about getting exercise, and more about avoiding Miroku while getting a tan. "Probably something to do with a client." She continued. "Miroku always has to research them thoroughly before Slater will take them on."

I sighed at her lack of enthusiasm and scribbled my response.

-What if it's got to do with his family?-

"Then it's really none of our business." She said logically.

I sat up and turned around to shoot her a look.

"Well, not that that matters…"

I flopped back down and scribbled,-What IS it?!-

"What is what?" It was Hojo, with his towel over one shoulder.

"Nothing important." Sango said.

"Right, and that's why Kagome's about to explode."

"Yes."

He sighed. "Females…"

"Aaaah. Women, how delectable." It was Miroku. Sango made a face in his direction, not bothering to open her eyes. " Nice to see you too. Lovely day, hmm?" He grinned as he looked her over.

"Go away, you lech." Sango sounded half asleep.

"Not likely, since you are in a bikini."

She sighed in irritation, but didn't open her eyes.

I was about to make a loud noise to alert Sango that Miroku was sneaking closer and closer to her lawn chair, but Hojo stopped me.

Miroku was about to tip the chair into the water when Sango shot up, grabbed his arm, and yanked him across her, towards the water. She gave him a tremendous shove, and he plunged in.

She laughed for a minute, reveling in her handiwork, then came over to me. "It's getting kind of late, we've got to go get ready for tonight."


	4. Chapter Four: Knowing

Hey, see

Hey, see? I told ya I'd post another...**please review**!

Disclaimer: All characters are the property of Rumiko Takahashi.

**Dreams of Memories**

**Chapter Four: Knowing**

That night we left after a light dinner for the gallery in a company car.

Slater had phoned earlier, saying he had to do some extra work at his office. He would meet us there.

Once again Sango had come through with appropriate clothes. I was wearing a slinky black cocktail dress, and Kagura had curled my hair into soft waves.

Kagura herself was in a dark blue dress. It was backless, and tight on the top, but short and flowy. I believed she had a weapon strapped under the layers of the skirt, and the looseness of the fit allowed for freer movement.

Sango was wearing a red dress with magenta accents, to offset her hair. Her heels were at least four inches, whereas mine were only two (a kitten heel), and she teetered at least a head above me.

Hojo and Miroku accompanied us, both in suits. Hojo wore a black blazer with a dark green tie, and Miroku had pinstripes on his suit, and his tie was a deep purple.

The gallery was in the center of downtown. From the outside it looked like a brick apartment building, but when you entered, you realized what it truly was.

The ceilings were high and arched, painted a cream, with some of the brick showing near the top. The floors were a clean bright wood, and there were columns everywhere.

The gallery consisted of three rooms. The first room, where you entered, was the largest, and the main room. It held mostly paintings, and also had the main refreshments table, as well as a table with information of the artist and a place to buy her work.

The next room was a mixture of paintings and pottery, and the third held mostly sculpture and paintings. As soon as we entered we all split to different rooms to look around.

I wandered around the first room, trying to take all of it in.

One painting looked like a normal picture of people walking along the street, but when you looked closer, they had a sort of cage around them, of reflected blue light, made of angles and smooth planes.

Another was of a girl with a guitar. It was a cropped piece of the instrument on her lap, her shoulder supporting it, her fingers curled around the neck, and her knee braced on a stool.

There was another of a lone man walking down a wet city street. It was all in shades of grays and blues and purples, and the tops of the buildings faded into the clouds.

I continued on into the second room, which was equally amazing. There were cups and plates and bowls of display, the glazing was incredible, and the forms were so graceful. I couldn't imagine how she got her pieces so thin without them collapsing…

Then I headed into the third room. My eyes immediately went to the life-sized sculpture in the center of the room, and were caught there. I felt as if I'd been hit in the stomach, all the air left my lungs. I couldn't breathe or think, I just stood there, feeling suspended with a huge weight pressing down on me, and everything closing in on me, until I was alone with only it.

It was a smooth white stone sculpture, of a naked young woman from the lower thighs up. Her arms were modestly covering her chest, and her face was full of shame and sadness. Her legs met at a large gaping, shattered hole. It looked as if someone had punched through the stone. From the jagged hole sprouted cracks, one even went all the way up one side of her face.

One of the waiters touched my elbow, spinning time back into place.

"Wine, miss?"

I shook my head quickly, gasping in air, noticing behind him a sign for the restroom. I fled towards the hallway to the one person room, closing the door and locking it. I ran to the sink and violently threw up. Even after I was done I wretched, dry and aching. I sank down between the toilet and the sink, her eyes staying in my mind.

I was shaking.

My stomach heaved again as her image ran through my head, and I gagged.

I leaned my head back against the tile wall, then turned so my cheek was pressed against the cool surface.

Why was I reacting this way…?

The name of the piece had been on a metal plate at the base of the sculpture…it had said, "She said No".

Had I been raped?

My diaphragm convulsed again. I wrapped my arms around my waist.

I couldn't be sure…but why was I so affected?

There was a polite tap on the door.

I stood, bracing my self on the sink.

Someone tried the handle.

"Is anyone in there?"

I turned on the tap as an answer to the woman on the other side of the door.

I washed my face and tried to rinse the repulsive taste from my mouth.

I dried off with a paper towel and sat on the covered toilet for a moment, breathing evenly and gathering myself.

I rose slowly and opened the door. There was a middle-aged woman waiting in the hallway, and I gave her a small smile as I passed.

As soon as I re-entered the room, I could feel her presence. I heard my name being called. I turned, averting my eyes from "She said No".

It was Slater.

"Where have you been?" He asked, approaching. I shrugged and smiled.

"Have you enjoyed it so far?"

I nodded, still smiling falsely.

"Alina's work is quite good. She did all this in two and a half years."

My eyes widened. Only two years?

"Here, let me show you one I am especially fond of…" He led me off.

I was distracted all evening. The vivid pieces of art all blended together, and by the time we all packed into Slater's limo, I couldn't remember any individual pieces. Except one.

I was still feeling sick on the ride back to the manor, so I tried not to make any sudden movements that would cause me to gag or something.

Slater noticed and gave me an inquiring look.

I gave him a strained smile.

We arrived home at two in the morning, and everyone went to their rooms to sleep. My mind was too crowded to rest. I needed my mind to be clear…I wanted relief.

I went to my room and changed into my bathing suit, grabbing a towel on my way back out. I slunk through the dark stone halls. The manor was so cold at night…so still. I could hear my breathing, even the movement of my towel that I'd wrapped around me.

The pool courtyard was eerily lit. No lights were on, except the underwater ones, which cast webs of reflected blue-green light against the stone walls.

I dropped my towel on a lounge chair, and in a smooth, reflexive movement I dived into the deep end. I drifted under the surface….I was weightless, and my mind was silent.

Floating, staring into that aqua blue light…and then she was there. Her face was coming towards me, she was crying and then screaming, coming closer.

I breathed in a lungful of water, choking, swimming back, my hair getting in my eyes and mouth. Where was the bottom? Where was the surface?

I felt with my feet, my lungs were on fire.

I felt rough concrete, pushed, and hit something metal with my head.

My vision darkened, then blurred, I felt for the metal that I'd hit, the ladder. I grabbed and pulled. I gasped in air, and then threw up all the water I'd swallowed, hacking out the liquid I'd inhaled. I coughed harshly, holding tightly onto the ladder, shaking. I held on for a while longer, feeling exhaustion setting in, and the adrenaline draining away.

I registered some feathery pink traces of something in the water.

What? I felt my throbbing head. I pulled my fingers away, they were wet with watery blood.

I clambered out of the pool, and got my towel, pressing against my head, and found my way back to my room.

I took a shower, carefully cleaning out the gash on the side of my head. I put my towel over my pillow to keep the blood off it, and fell asleep, in my underwear, beneath the cool sheets. Not caring. My mind spinning around and around.

Knowing it was true.


	5. Chapter Five: Believing

Hello my lovely readers...look! I have posted waaaaay early. Have I mentioned how much I love reviews? They motivate me to write faster, those fantastic reviews do. Reviews are marvelously brilliant and spectacular too. Uh-huh. That they are. Those reviews. HINT HINT

Ahem.

The moral of this note is: please review, cuz then I will update faster.

Oh, and I'm gonna respond to everyone's reviews in my next post...I didn't have time to do it today...

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. They are Rumiko Takahashi's. But I own Rumiko, so they are technically mine. Not.

**Dreams of Memories**

**Chapter Five: Believing**

In the morning my hair was covered in cracked rust colored blood. The towel was stained.

I stumbled into the bathroom, and took a shower, watching the orangey water disappear down the drain. I didn't wash my hair besides a quick rinse; I didn't want to open the wound again.

When I was done showering I checked out my injury in the mirror as best I could, it was difficult to see through my thick hair. I could feel a lump about the size of a quarter, and when I pulled my hair away, I could see a scab on top of the purple bump. I winced as I scraped it with a finger it by accident. It didn't look too bad…

I carefully fixed my hair over it, so it wasn't immediately noticeable.

I grabbed my white erase board and headed down three floors to the kitchen. I got a glass of ice water and wrote that I was going to the library for some alone time.

On my way there I got a washcloth from one of the many linen closets around the manor.

Once in the library I retrieved the latest book I was reading (Pride and Prejudice) and headed toward the back of the library. I'd found two alcoves to either side of the grand staircase that you had to go through a maze of bookcases to get to. I went back seven rows and over three, and behind that third bookcase I had pulled a huge cushioned chair. I put the nearby lamp near the entrance to the small enclosure, so I could see someone's shadow before they found me.

I collapsed into the chair, putting my glass and book on the end table.

I spread the washcloth on my lap, and fished out some ice from my water. I bundled it up to make an ice pack, and leaned back into the soft chair. I positioned the ice on my head, and staying balanced, picked up my book, and began where I'd left off the night before last, "Elisabeth related to Jane the next day what had happened between…"

I woke up to someone gently removing the ice pack from my head.

I registered the movement and shot up, swaying at the head rush.

Slater was looking at me, startled, then back down at the washcloth. There was blood on it. I touched my head. My fingers were sticky.

"What happened." Slater even sounded a bit like he cared.

I started to shake my head, but it hurt too much.

"I will take you to see Kaede." He stood up, but I pulled him back down by his sleeve.

'No.' I mouthed.

"You need-" He began.

"Please." I said. Then I realized what I had done, and what it meant. And I began to cry.

"Kagome?" Slater sounded uncomfortable. "Why are- what is wrong?"

I buried my face in my hands. I'd been _raped_….raped…

Slater hesitated, then put his hand on my shoulder. I leaned into im and pressed my face into his collar. I could feel my forehead against his neck, and the silk of his shirt on my cheek…the fabric was cool, like the bathroom tiles at the gallery…

I though he would push me away soon, but instead felt one of his arms gingery wrap around me.

Slater used his free hand to pull my hair away from my face. "Kagome." He said. "Tell me what is wrong."

"I-I…" I could speak…but I knew.

I felt his thumb stroke my back for a second, but he stopped, almost embarrassed, so quickly that I thought I'd imagined it.

I took in deep, shuddering breaths, smelling his soap and aftershave.

I pulled away slowly, still holding onto his sleeve. I kept a good grip on it. I felt tears dripping off my chin. There was a wet spot on his shirt.

"Sorry." I said hoarsely.

"Kagome." Slater said.

"I can't tell you…I can't!" I cried, tears welling up again.

Slater pulled one of his handkerchiefs from his pocket, and gave it to me. I wiped off my cheeks.

"Why not." He said.

"I-I didn't even r-realize it until n-now." I said, my spasmatic breathing causing me to stutter.

"Is it something you remember?"

"N-no. I j-just know someth-thing." I took deep breaths, like my mother always said to whenever I cried. I could almost see her…I could feel her more, she was warm…I was on her lap and I was crying hard, and she said, 'It's ok honey, just take deep breaths baby, ok? Deep breaths…' She was rocking me back and forth…the warmth faded slowly, and then I was next to Slater again, and he waiting for me to finish. "I'll tell you when I can."

Slater evaluated me with his sharp, calculating eyes. Apparently he concluded that I wasn't going to be convinced otherwise. "Tell me how you hurt your head."

"I went swimming last night after the gallery…I hit my head on the ladder."

"That was foolish." Slater said.

"Yes." I said, irritated and tired from crying. "I know."

"…I am sorry. That was uncalled for." Slater looked at me with those cold eyes.

"…It's all right. I wasn't being very smart."

"Let me take you to Kaede. We can tell her that we took an early swim, and you hit your head in the pool."

I thought for a second of refusing, but my throbbing head, as well as Slater actually wanting to help me, convinced me to agree. "All right."

Slater helped me up and out of the library, towards the infirmary.

The next morning Kaede allowed me to leave the infirmary with instructions to rest, a cleaned wound, and a bandage covering it neatly. I headed straight for the kitchen, expecting breakfast, but instead encountered a chaotic scene.

Sango and Miroku were in the middle of a rather loud argument, their voices seemed to echo off the metal pots and appliances, magnifying the sounds. Hojo and Jaken had apparently been doing the dishes when the other two had begun to fight, because they had frozen by the sink. Jaken was holding a soapy plate and Hojo a drying rag.

"_I didn't tell anyone we slept together_!!" Miroku shouted, frustrated.

"WELL THE ENTIRE MANOR SEEMS TO THINK WE HAVE!!"

"…"

"If YOU aren't the one who made it up, then WHO DID?!"

"…"

"Are you even LISTENING to me?"

"Well…" He finally responded. "I was just thinking…you, me, sex. It could work."

"You are such a PERVERT." Sango looked genuinely uspet. She stomped through the double doors, leaving them swinging behind her.

"I think you might have gone too far this time." I said tentatively.

"Yeah." Miroku sighed, shoving his hands into his pockets. "I'd better-" He froze. And stared at me.

"Did you just….talk?" Hojo asked.

I smiled and nodded, trying to look enthusiastic about it. Miroku and Hojo lunged at me at once, hugging me tightly. After Miroku had groped me and gotten smacked a few times, Hojo asked, "Do you remember anything?"

"No." I said. "Not yet, anyway."

Hojo noticed the bandage on my head that I strategically concealed with my hair, until the hugs had messed it up.

"What happened?" He frowned at me.

"Oh, pool accident. Don't worry, Slater was with me."

Hojo's frown deepened. "Are you sure you're ok?" He leaned closer, pushing my dark hair out of the way, to look closer.

"Yeah-"

"Good morning." Slater was there.

I moved away from Hojo, noticing Slater's eyes slightly flick between Hojo and I. All of a sudden, I felt awkward.

"Um, I'm kind of hungry." I broke the silence. "What's for breakfast?"

Jaken turned from where he'd resumed washing the dishes. "We have anything you want this morning, all right?"

I blushed. "Do you have any of those Danishes left over from lunch yesterday?"

"I do believe so. What kind do you want?"

"Cinnamon would be nice." I said.

"Do you want hot tea with that?" Jaken asked.

I nodded. "I'll get it, though."

"Don't bother." Hojo said, heading over to a cupboard.

"Are you sure?" I asked, still standing.

"Yeah. It's fine, you should sit down. Anyone else?" Hojo said.

"I'll take one." Slater said.

We sat together at the counter with Miroku.

"I noticed Sango looked upset on the way here. Did you do something to her again? You know I do not tolerate harassment between my staff, even if meant facetiously."

Miroku's eyes widened. "I forgot…" He practically ran from the room.

Slater lowered his voice a little as he turned to me, "Your head is better?"

"Yeah, it's scabbing quite nicely, thank you." I smiled.

I saw the corners of his mouth twitch almost imperceptibly.

Suddenly there was a loud bang. I jumped and almost fell off my stool.

"Oops." Hojo said. He had smacked down the two mugs of tea onto the metal counter. "Sorry…" He slid them over to us.

There was a long pause.

"Uhmmm…" They both looked up. "I was thinking of going to the pool this afternoon around one…either of you want to come?"

"Yeah." Hojo said.

I looked at Slater.

"…would you?" I asked.

"Perhaps." He almost looked pleased.

When I headed down to the pool, Hojo, Miroku, and Sango were already there.

Miroku had apparently made up with Sango by promising not to touch her butt for a week. He had also filled her in on the return of my voice.

I fooled around with the others in the shallow end for a bit, but I wasn't allowed to get my head wet so I couldn't go into the deep end, and I got bored.

I reclined in one of the lawn chairs, wondering where Slater was, and slowly began to drift off.

I was almost asleep when a shadow fell across my face. I sat up too quickly and almost fell over. Slater caught my arms and steadied me, sitting with me on the lounge chair. "I seem to make you do that a lot." He commented dryly, thinking of the library the day before.

I became aware that we were sitting very close, and I was wearing very little. His hands were still on my bare shoulder, but judging by his icy look, he didn't even notice. I blushed a little.

"Is something the matter." Slater said.

"It's nothing." I said, standing, and then my vision dimmed, and blackened. My head had prickles, like my foot after it had fallen asleep. I felt like I was floating, and then my vision was back, and Slater had a hold of me. He set me back on my feet. He realized his arm was around my bare waist, so he tactfully moved his arms around my shoulders.

"I will take you to Kaede's." He said.

I nodded as he handed me my towel, which I wrapped around my waist. The edges of my vision darkened briefly.

"What's wrong?" Sango called out from the pool, she'd noticed me almost faint.

"Kagome is not feeling well, I am taking her to the infirmary." Slater said, tightening his hold on me, as he felt my stance weaken. I felt so light headed…

"I'll take her." Hojo offered.

"I do not mind." Slater said firmly. "You may accompany us if you feel the need." Hojo nodded, and climbed from the pool, following us into the manor.

Please review...


	6. Chapter Six: Finding

Hey everyone

Hey everyone...thanks again for all your wonderful reviews!! I am going to do an individual response to reviews in an up and coming chapter, if you guys want me to...I really do like each individual response I get.

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters. They are Rumiko Takahashi's. Nuuuuurrrr.

**Dreams of Memories**

**Chapter Six: Finding**

I slept in the infirmary for many days and nights.

Sometimes I caught glimpses of time passing, in the few times I was semi-conscious. I would swim out of the dark and observe for a few moments, then collapse back into my head, and process what I'd seen.

I remember Sango talking to someone on the other side of my bed. Kaede humming something, Hojo looking down at me. Miroku and Sango arguing, and Jaken telling them to be quiet. I don't think Slater came to see me…except once. It was dark and late. He was sitting near me, in a chair by the window. He was watching me, and then he got up and stood over by the window, and he was so dark in the shadow that I couldn't see his face. There was something in his hand…

I don't think it was a dream…

When I finally woke up it was either very late, or very early. The moonlight drifted into the infirmary, giving all the beds lining the walls a surreal feeling.

"Am I dreaming?" I realized I'd spoken aloud, and my voice sounded scratchy. I found a glass of water on my side table, and drank it all slowly, feeling the coolness wash away the gauzy feeling in my throat.

I felt light, and when I walked towards Kaede's office, and the exit, I felt as if I were rising gently.

I was silent, and almost afraid to breathe, as if I would fall. I could hear the light noises my hospital gown made when I moved.

I floated through the office, and into the hallway, in and out of shadows.

There was a swift, fluid, movement out of the corner of my eye. Had the shadow moved?

I looked at it for a moment, then saw a flicker of movement to my left, and whirled, just in time to see a shadow slinking behind me.

I followed it with my eyes, my heart pounding in my head. All the shadows were gathering at the end of the hallway. They stilled there for a moment, and then from the pitch-blackness there was a slow movement.

An even darker form was emerging…a man. He was watching me, his eyes and angry, washed out blue. I felt my heart freeze. He SAW me. And I knew I was going to die.

He was coming closer, and I was frozen, my fear clogging in my throat.

Those eyes…they CAUGHT me.

His teeth glinted, he smiled.

That small flash of light was all it took.

I ran and ran, more hallways, more twists. I should've reached a foyer now, or at least a stairwell. Where WAS I?

I tripped on the edge of a rug-

-and I was standing in the middle of the library. Slater was standing on the main staircase, in front of me. He turned, startled.

"Kagome, you are awake."

"Yes…" I said, my mind trying to catch up with the rest of me…my adrenaline was still pumping from- "that man! Sessho-maru, there was a man in the hall, he-"

"Who?"

"I don't know! All the shadows melted together and then he was THERE. And he had these HORRIBLE blue eyes, I ran…but I fell…and now…"

"Perhaps you were sleepwalking?"

I breathed, shuddering. My heartbeat was slowing. "You must be right. Shadows can't move, can they?" I noticed his eyes looked surprisingly sad. "What's wrong?"

He just looked at me, silent.

"What?" I offered him a smile. "What is it?"

His cold face had almost a regretful look to it, as he handed me a folded piece of paper.

I slowly opened it. It was a news article.

**FAMILY MURDERED. GIRL STILL MISSING.**

I looked up him, stomach sinking. He just stared at me, impassively now.

**The search for Kagome Higurashi, age 19, still continues. Four months ago her family was discovered murdered in their house in Ithaca, NY. Higurashi was believed to be abducted by the killers, but is now believed to be dead by investigators, as they have hit dead end after dead end in their investigation.**

**Higurashi is 5'7", dark haired, and brown-eyed. Below is a photo of her taken age 14. If you have any information about her location of abductors- article continued on pg. 4A.**

When I finished reading I stared at the paper for a little while. I felt smaller and smaller.

"Kagome Higurashi…" My name didn't sound familiar. My stomach was dropping, and I felt so heavy, as if I were sinking into the thick carpet beneath my bare feet.

"This was written about 6 months ago. Kaede's little sister gave it to me. When Kaede went home to take care of Kikyou, she told her your story. She has been obsessed with tracking your identity down for weeks."

It was strange. Feeling so horrified and sad and not knowing why. My eyes were wet. So much of me died along with them…

I felt as if my insides were hollow, and my stomach was falling endlessly. My throat was plugged up.

I stared fiercely at the paper, my hand shaking, trying to get control of myself. Instead, I noticed that this newspaper clipping wasn't as folded-weary as the one he always kept in his pocket.

That train of thought dried my tears with its distraction.

I swallowed thickly. I wiped my tears away with my palm and breathed deeply. I looked up, and met his cool amber eyes, glinting in the dark.

He stood completely still. He knew. He lost his family. He knew there was nothing he could say. Only time could help.

In that moment, I felt truly connected to him. It was such a tragic bond, but it was an incredible feeling of closeness. I didn't think I'd felt that in such a long time. I wondered if he felt it.

"You did not know of this." He said quietly.

"No." He was referring to my secret. "Of course not…"

"I thought that that was what you had remembered-"

"No. It was something else." I was silent for a moment. "Who were my family, anyway?"

We both knew my question wasn't as casual as it sounded.

He began, in his level, uncompassionate voice, "Your mother was only fifty-two. Your father died when you were three, in a car accident. Your grandfather lived with you. You also had a younger brother, Sota, who was just thirteen." He paused. "You had a cat as well, named Buyo."

I smiled a little, a faint shrill laughter coming out of my mouth.

"Will you tell me what you remembered." He said.

I sobered quickly. "…I'll tell you the day you show me the newspaper article you carry around."

He gave me a frosty, measured look from the dark. "Fine."

I sighed in exhaustion. I realized I was once again in a hospital gown. The back had gaps in it, and they were letting in the cool air.

"I will take you back to-" He stopped talking when I shook my head.

"No. The infirmary is too blank. I hate it."

He gave me a vaguely exasperated look, but handed me a throw from a nearby chair.

He easily moved a lounge to the landing in front of the giant window. He set up a bed there, turning the large lounge into a nest. "There." He said, looking at me blankly.

I felt suddenly frightened that the shadow man would come back. "…are you going to leave?"

He met my eyes coldly. "No." He gracefully leaned back in the lounge, almost like a cat, only basking in the weak moonlight instead of the sun,

I curled up next to him, almost afraid to touch him, as if he would actually be made of ice. I knew he wasn't, from that day at the pool, but his demeanor was so unflinching.

There was a light rain out side, and the moon barely visible. I could hardly tell where the ocean started and the sky ended. My eyes were welling up again.

I looked away, and let my head rest on his shoulder. I was bold in my exhaustion, and almost wanted to curve against him more, but I wasn't quite drowsy enough.

I cried myself to sleep, hoping it wasn't a dream that he was stroking his strong, tapered fingers against my spine through the holes in my hospital gown, to quiet and comfort me.

Review, please!


	7. Chapter Seven: Telling

To My Loverly Readers Whom I Love A Lot,

I am such a horrible person, will you all ever forgive me?! I hate authors who update like once a month when they say once a week...a pack of liars they are! And I have gotten in with them...they are a bad crowd...a lazy bunch we are, we sit around and eat chocolate and drink liquor instead of writing. For all you know, I am a big fatty from all my lazy authoress-ness...and it would serve me right!

I hope someone's is still reading this story...ha-ha, that would be double cool with knobs.

All righty, to wrap up this intro dribble, I am so very sorry, cookies for everyone!! I am such a shamed little authoress...shaaaaaaaaaaame shaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaame...

And by the way, I have no idea how this is going to end except that it will be fantastic and completely undisappointing. It will be AMAZING, have no worries, but expect the ending in the next few chapters I think. We'll see how it develops.

LOVELOVELOVE,

Amy-lala

P.S. I know it is rather ungrateful to ask, but please review...thaaaaank you...

Disclaimer: I think we get by now that I do not own Inuyasha. Otherwise I would be ten times more of a fatty because of my lazy authoressness, plus have half of the world hating me because I would only put out like one book a year. I would be assasinated by psychotic fan-girls. Seeing as I am not a dead fatty, I think its safe to say I do not own the characters in Inuyasha

**Dreams of Memories**

**Chapter Eight: Changing**

Hojo didn't look at me, he just stood, quiet and grounded, by the counter.

"Hojo," I started.

"Don't. Not now." He said firmly.

"Yes, now. I don't know if I'll be able to do this later, and you deserve this."

Hojo finally met my eyes, clearly about to protest, but then sat wordlessly at the counter. I joined him.

"Hojo." I began again. "You're one of my closest friends here at the manor, and I can't tell you how sorry I am that you're hurt…This thing with Slater was really sudden." He snorted. "I just wanted to say that I care a lot about you, and I really want to still be-"

"We aren't friends."

That threw me. "What?"

"Not anymore."

I was stricken. "Hojo…no!"

"Not yet." He amended. "Not for awhile."

"But-"

"Please."

I looked at him for a moment. "O-ok."

His brown eyes met mine. "Ok." He agreed, smiling a little. He pushed some of my hair behind my ear. "Go swim."

"Will you come?"

"Maybe tomorrow." He said as I stood.

I nodded, and left. As I was walking back to my room to get on my swimsuit, I thought back on all that had happened that day and the night before. I wondered who the shadow man was…I really wished those security guards would do their job better tonight…

Then something clicked together in my mind. If there were guards…then why didn't they find me at the front gate? Surely they must have seen or heard something of my attacker as well….they couldn't be that incompetent. So how could have _Sessho-maru_ found me?

Or maybe…was Sessho-maru lying to me? Why would he do that? I didn't realize I was frowning until Sango ran up to me from down the hall and asked, "What's taking you so- what's wrong?"

I un-furrowed my eyebrows. "Oh, it's nothing really. Come with me to get my suit?" Sessho-maru said not to go anywhere alone.

We were just leaving my room when I heard a strange noise….like a loud bell. I jumped about two feet in the air.

"Is that some sort of alarm?! _Has someone gotten in_?" I asked.

Sango laughed. "No…that's just the doorbell. But that's strange; we don't normally get visitors on the spur of the moment. Usually they call ahead, because they're business associates for Slater..."

She hurried to the stairs. "Come on, I've got to get that, and you shouldn't be by yourself!"

I followed her, running down four flights of stairs to the first floor. We went down a short hall, and into the entrance room. It was one of the warmest rooms in the manor, painted a deep red, with many tables and hooks, mirrors, and softly lit lamps lining the walls.

Sango immediately went to the large double wooden doors, and pulled one open, just as the bell rang again. I shouldn't say rang…it was more like a booming noise. I stood back in the corner, sort of behind an end-table, out of immediate sight of our mysterious visitor.

"Good morning, sir. How may I help you?"

I heard a man's deep voice say, "Is this the Slater residence?"

"Yes, can I help you somehow?"

"I am looking for a young woman…she's supposed to be staying here?

Her name is Kagome. Kagome Higurashi."

I felt my heart jump, I started towards the door. Who could it be? I slunk up behind Sango and peeked over her shoulder. There was a young man in the doorway, with dark hair. _And bright blue eyes…_

He caught sight of me. My heart froze, and I began to back away.

"Kagome? Kagome!! It _is_ you!" He started towards me, but Sango blocked him neatly.

"Who are YOU?" She demanded.

"Get out of the way!" The man was clearly frustrated. When she refused to move, he said harshly, "My name is Kouga, and would you please let me see my _girlfriend_?!"

Sango was so surprised she let him past her. He quickly engulfed me in a hug; he must have been at least six feet tall. I stiffened in fear and shock.

"Where have you been?" He asked once he'd pulled away. "After what happened at the shrine…and to your family...we all were so worried."

And it showed in his eyes. I knew at once that those malicious eyes of that shadow man were not Kouga's. I instantly relaxed.

"I'm sorry…but I lost my memory, and the people who live here have taken me in. When I found out my family was dead, it didn't occur to me that other people cared where I was…"

He was hugging me again, tightly. It felt familiar…but at the same time I wanted to push him away. What about Sessho-maru? I stepped back after allowing him to hold me for a few more moments.

Sango had closed the door.

"Oh, Kouga. This is Sango."

He nodded to her, then turned back to me. He was kind of rude…

"So are you going to come back with me?"

What?! "I'd rather not…" I tried to sound calm about it.

"Oh I get it. You're still recovering. Don't worry! I can stay a few days." He already had his coat on a hook, and took my hand, pulling me into the hall. I gave Sango a desperate look.

"Uhm, Kouga, wait-" She began.

"Oh! Sorry…" He said. He kicked off his muddy boots into a corner, and was off again.

"Kagome, give me a tour of where you've been living."

I sighed. That couldn't hurt…could it?

I showed him the foyers and tea rooms on the first floor; and the kitchen, dining, and library rooms on the second floor. I didn't bother with the other four floors. The upper levels were just the infirmary and living quarters anyway.

I was especially enthused about the library, but Kouga seemed to brush it off. I felt incredibly annoyed with him, and got the feeling of familiarity again. I had definitely been frustrated with his attitude before.

I finally just asked him to come swimming with us, hoping that at least I would have Miroku and Sango to talk to besides him. He agreed, and the three of us went out to the courtyard. Miroku was sitting at a

table, looking off into nothing.

He jumped up as we arrived. "Finally! Where have you lovely ladies been-" He stopped short. "Who is this?" He asked.

"This," Sango said, polite through her teeth, "Is Kouga…Kagome's boyfriend from Ithaca."

Miroku's eyes widened. "Oh." He shook Kouga's hand. "Nice to meet you."

As soon as Kouga turned to take off his shirt, Miroku shot me a look that meant, _"What are you doing?!"_

I motioned back, _"I don't know!"_

I stripped to my bathing suit, and Sango did the same, pausing only once to slap Miroku because of a 'slip of a hand'.

Once we were all floating in the early afternoon light, Miroku asked, grinning wickedly, "So how long have you known Kagome?"

Kouga smiled. "Since freshman year. We finally started going out junior year…I knew she was my woman from the first moment I saw her."

So it had taken me three years to accept his offer. I wonder if I had been too annoyed to take it, so I just said yes to get him off my back. I smiled at the thought.

"Your woman, huh?" Sango asked, obviously irked at his phrasing.

"Yeah." Kouga said proudly, not getting it (A/N: that is the definition of Kouga, right there. ahaha… yeah.). He wrapped an arm around me.

"Look, Kouga." I said. "I think we really need to talk about this…come with me?"

"Sure!" He followed me out of the pool to a table.

"Listen, I know that when I was in Ithaca we were going out, but I don't know anything about you…I haven't met you before today!"

He frowned, confused. "No, we've known each other for years…"

I let out a frustrated sigh. "Look, it's not your fault. I just don't remember you at all."

He leaned back in his chair. "It's no problem."

I smiled, he was finally getting it.

"I'll just stay here for awhile and you'll get to know me again! Piece of cake."

I let my head fall onto the table. "Hey babe, you ok?"

"Yes." I mumbled. This was going to be bad. What was I going to tell Sessho-maru? I had a feeling he wouldn't like this at all…

We swam for a few more hours before going back to our rooms to change for dinner. When I finished my shower in my rooms, I headed back out into my main bedroom to change, only instead finding Kouga sitting on my bed.

I shrieked, and pulled my towel tighter around me. "Kouga, what are you doing in here?!"

"Waiting for you." He said, getting up and coming over, grinning.

"What, are you nervous? You look good in just that…"

I backed away. "Kouga…I want to get dressed…and my outfit is a surprise." I lied quickly. "So you have to leave the room until I come out."

He raised his eyebrows suggestively. "You always were very modest…all right. I'll wait in the hall for you."

I sighed in relief as he left.

I changed in a hurry, in the bathroom with the door locked (just in case). I wore one of my longer dresses, with a slightly higher neckline.

When I emerged, Kouga said, "My woman always looks her best…"

Was that supposed to be a compliment? He put his arm around me as we began down the hall.

We turned the corner to the stairwell, and I ran right into a very tall person.

Before I even looked up I knew who it was, by his smell, and his suit. I looked up into his golden eyes and completely forgot about Kouga. I hugged Sessho-maru tightly. His arms wrapped around me and I felt a sort of calm come over me. Kouga had had me tensed up all day.

All of a sudden, I was pulled back to reality by a loud voice demanding, "Who are YOU?"

Sessho-maru pulled away a little, keeping me in his arms. "I believe the question at hand," His voice was silk, "Would be who you are. Why are you in my manor?"

"That would be my fault." I said. "This is Kouga…"

"I'm her boyfriend!" Kouga growled, looking like he was about to rip me out of Sessho-maru's grip.

Sessho-maru didn't look threatened at all. He just blinked. This

seemed to get Kouga even angrier.

"Kouga." I said, hoping he would finally understand. "I tried to tell you earlier. I don't know you…to me, you're a stranger…I'm sorry."

"You say that now Kagome." He said, still sounding pissed. "But you'll always be my woman."

Sessho-maru met his glare, and held me closer, almost warning Kouga to back off.

I felt sorry for Kouga then. He _remembered _me…to him I was still his girlfriend…who he'd known for so long, and who he thought he'd lost.

"Look, Kouga." I said gently. "Do you still want to come for dinner?"

"No, I am going to leave now. But I'll be back for you Kagome, in a few days. You need to come home, where you BELONG." And he stomped off down the stairs.

Home…I thought as I watched him go. _Where was home anyway?_

Sessho-maru's cool fingers tilted my face upwards. "I expect you'll tell me how this happened after dinner?"

I met his golden eyes and smiled, pressing my body against his, a little closer. Being there, with him. That felt like home the most. "Yeah...are you mad?"

He looked at me levelly. "No. He is stupid, he is no threat."

"That's awfully mean!" I said, my laughter echoing in the stairwell, as we walked down towards the dining room.

"Even though I have only met him for mere moments, he seems rash and pig-headed. An annoyance."

"You got all that?" I asked.

"Mostly from you, actually." He said, smiling faintly. "You seemed very relieved to see me, and your feelings about him were written all over your face."

I blushed. "Well, I spent all day with him. He even hung around my room while I was trying to change…"

Sessho-maru stopped. "He did what?"

"Oh, well, it wasn't that bad…" I back-tracked. "I was in a towel and everything."

"I hope for his sake he does not come back here." There was a glint in Sessho-maru's eye that made me believe him completely.

"Don't worry." I grinned up at Sessho-maru, who still had a dangerous look in his eye. "He's gone now." I stood on my tip-toes and kissed his cheek. "And I'm not his." Sessho-maru's hands moved to my hips, pulling me flush against him. He kissed me lightly, reassuringly. He kissed me again, deeper than before.

When he pulled back, I said, "We're going to be late for dinner…"

"Dinner will wait." Was all he said, before he was kissing me again, this time pinning me against the wall.

"I guess we can be a little late…" I mumbled against his ear, as he kissed along my neck. When he started to slip the straps of my dress off I stopped him. "Sessho-maru, now isn't the time…we are in a hallway…"

He growled, "But it is my hallway."

But he kissed me once more on the lips, gently, before backing up, so I could move away from the wall. I straightened my dress and we continued down the hall.

"I have stationed more guards around the grounds. You will be staying in my rooms tonight. They have the most security, and Kagura will be in the antechamber keeping watch all night." He told me.

"And where will you be staying?"

"With you."

"Really?" I said, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes."

I smiled and stopped for a minute outside the dining room to kiss him, daringly biting his lower lip. "Sounds great."

Reeeeeeeeeeeeview...revieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeew...I'm not creepy at all...revieeeeeeeeeeeew...


	8. Chapter Eight: Changing

Dear Lovely Reader-People,

Have I mentioned how very dear to my heart all of you are? I lurve every single one of you! And I appreciate those who are still reading this, you are very patient.

I know this is short, but I felt like that was a good place to end...heh eheh hehehehe.

The next few chaptas are gonna be crazy...maybe even intense...ooooo! So please review this chapter to motivate me to finish the next one so it will get posted within the next two weeks! Won't that be lovely?

I want to get chap 10 published by the 11th, cuz thats when I leave for Cancun for Spring Break, so I want to have that up so you guys don't have to wait forever and be stuck with a cliffie. But I have a lot of packing and organizing to do, so I might post after break...I should write chapter 11 on the beach...mmmmm...

Amy-lala

Disclaimer: Suing would be icky!! Please don't, cuz I do not own these characters! They are the lovely Rumiko Takahashi's!!

**Dreams of Memories**

**Chapter Nine: Unfolding**

We entered the dining room hand in hand.

Miroku looked at me as we entered, raising an eyebrow. "Where's your boyfriend?"

I blushed. "He isn't my boyfriend...but he's going to be back in a few days..."

"Not that we'll let him in..." Sango muttered from her seat beside him.

"I will describe him to the guards. They are not supposed to let anyone with blue eyes in the gates anyway, without my confirmation." Sessho-maru said.

That brought to mind my suspicions from earlier. I dropped Sessho-maru's hand and took my seat. He followed suit, sitting at the head of the table, and we all began dinner.

I barely touched my chicken marsala, even though it smelled delicious. My mind just kept turning over and over...why would Sessho-maru lie to me? If he did at all that is...my mind drifted and I caught myself frowning in his direction more than once. I wanted to trust him...

Then I realized I was staring directly into golden eyes...he'd caught me spacing out at him. I flushed and looked down into my lap.

I could feel his gaze still on me, so I gathered my courage and looked back up. He tilted his head a little, asking me silently what was going on.

I shook my head. His eyes narrowed in insistence.

'Later.' I mouthed. Kaede, next to me, gave me a nudge in the side. I turned to her and she gave me a concerned look. I shook my head firmly again. "I'm fine Kaede...promise."

I gave her my most winning smile.

"All right." She said, then more sternly added, "Eat up, you are still too thin. Much too skinny."

I smiled for real that time, and did as she said.

I would talk to Sessho-maru later.

After dinner Sessho-maru took me to my rooms to get my things. I got a change of clothes and a toothbrush, as well as my most recent novel, "The Great Gatsby" and another book I was re-reading, "The Merchant of Venice".

He's offered to have Sango send up everything, but I'd protested. It was pointless, since my room was practically on our way. Besides, I'd wanted a chance to ask Sessho-maru about how he'd found me.

While I was picking out a shirt to go with my white skirt for the next day, I asked, "What ever happened to the clothes I was wearing when you found me?"

Sessho-maru was out on the balcony. His voice drifted into me, "I believe Kaede threw them out, they were destroyed." He came in, the white drapes swirling in as well with the wind. "Why do you ask?"

"I've been thinking about that night you found me a lot lately..." I confessed. "And I was wondering...why didn't the guards find me that night? If I was at the front gates?"

Sessho-maru just stared at me, and I began to think he was angry with me: I couldn't read the strong emotion in his eyes. His mouth opened to respond, when a third voice interrupted our conversation.

"Well, that's the question, isn't it?" A woman stood in the open balcony doorway, shadowed from the light within the room. She stepped further into the warm glow of the lamps. "But unlike you, I already have my answer." It was Kagura...

Sessho-maru stiffened. "You are supposed to be upstairs in the antechamber...checking the room than standing guard."

"Well, I would have been waiting up there for you, but you were late for dinner because of that stupid old boyfriend of hers. So I came down for a visit. Did you know your balcony," She was addressing me now. Sessho-maru moved a bit in front of me, protection I was grateful for. Kagura wasn't acting like herself...she was scaring me. "Is exactly below his?" She switched her attention back to Sessho-maru. "It's very rude, you know, to be late. Especially on a night like tonight, when I have things to...take care of..."

Sessho-maru was practically growling. Something was wrong. I put a hand on his back, for his support as well as my own. The muscles in his back were strained and tense: he felt like he was made of marble.

"I never thought it would be you Kagura." He said lowly.

What? What was going on?

"Don't be silly. It wasn't. And I am not here for you." She said breezily. Then she grinned more dangerously, contrasting with her light tone. "I've just come to get something back. Something of Naraku's has run away, and he misses it terribly..."

I felt the muscles of his back tense even more beneath my hand. "No." He said, icy as ever.

"Stand aside." Kagura said sharply.

"No." He said again, standing rigid and cold. Suddenly Kagura was right in front of him, and he lunged at her smoothly, pushing her out to the balcony. I stood in shock for a moment, still processing what was happening. Then I grabbed the first thing in sight: my old white erase board (just in case I had to defend myself), and followed them out.

Sessho-maru had Kagura pinned to the railing, holding her still, but keeping her from falling at the same time.

"I will show you no mercy but this. If you leave now," He said calmly. "Without Kagome and do not come back, I will let you live. Or you can keep fighting and I may be forced to kill you. She is never going back to him. You will not take her, I will not allow it."

"Where? Ithaca?" I was so confused...what was he talking about? Who was Naraku? And what did he have to do with me?

"Make your choice." Sessho-maru said coldly, his hand around her throat never loosening.

"All right..." She said finally. "I choose...neither!!" And she quickly twisted away, coming at me.

Sessho-maru, thinking only of me, rushed at her from behind, but she dropped into a graceful, arching kick. I watched as he fell back, his head hitting the metal railing, and then hitting the stone floor.

I cried out, but Kagura had me, so I smacked her with the white board a few times, but she easily snatched it and threw it off the balcony.

"Sessho-maru!!" I screamed, but he was so still...but then he groaned, and began to try and sit up. "Stay there, stay still..." I called, as Kagura yanked me inside. I wanted to yell at him to save me, to DO something...I could feel a wild panic building inside me, and dread at the thought of wherever she was taking me... "Please Sessho-maru...you're hurt...don't move...I don't want you hurt...please stay still...ok?" My voice faded to a whisper as Kagura slammed the glass doors shut. "Sessho-maru...please..."

And then I felt something hit my head, and I dropped, and everything was dark.

Review if you please!! And if you don't please I'd really appreciate if you did it anyway...but only if you want to be nice to a poor little authoress...guilt guilt...


	9. Chapter Nine: Unfolding

Dear Lovely Reader-People,

Have I mentioned how very dear to my heart all of you are? I lurve every single one of you! And I appreciate those who are still reading this, you are very patient.

I know this is short, but I felt like that was a good place to end...heh eheh hehehehe.

The next few chaptas are gonna be crazy...maybe even intense...ooooo! So please review this chapter to motivate me to finish the next one so it will get posted within the next two weeks! Won't that be lovely?

I want to get chap 10 published by the 11th, cuz thats when I leave for Cancun for Spring Break, so I want to have that up so you guys don't have to wait forever and be stuck with a cliffie. But I have a lot of packing and organizing to do, so I might post after break...I should write chapter 11 on the beach...mmmmm...

Amy-lala

Disclaimer: Suing would be icky!!! Please don't, cuz I do not own these characters! They are the lovely Rumiko Takahashi's!!

* * *

**Dreams of Memories**

**Chapter Nine: Unfolding**

We entered the dining room hand in hand.

Miroku looked at me as we entered, raising an eyebrow. "Where's your boyfriend?"

I blushed. "He isn't my boyfriend...but he's going to be back in a few days..."

"Not that we'll let him in..." Sango muttered from her seat beside him.

"I will describe him to the guards. They are not supposed to let anyone with blue eyes in the gates anyway, without my confirmation." Sessho-maru said.

That brought to mind my suspicions from earlier. I dropped Sessho-maru's hand and took my seat. He followed suit, sitting at the head of the table, and we all began dinner.

I barely touched my chicken marsala, even though it smelled delicious. My mind just kept turning over and over...why would Sessho-maru lie to me? If he did at all that is...my mind drifted and I caught myself frowning in his direction more than once. I wanted to trust him...

Then I realized I was staring directly into golden eyes...he'd caught me spacing out at him. I flushed and looked down into my lap.

I could feel his gaze still on me, so I gathered my courage and looked back up. He tilted his head a little, asking me silently what was going on.

I shook my head. His eyes narrowed in insistence.

'Later.' I mouthed. Kaede, next to me, gave me a nudge in the side. I turned to her and she gave me a concerned look. I shook my head firmly again. "I'm fine Kaede...promise."

I gave her my most winning smile.

"All right." She said, then more sternly added, "Eat up, you are still too thin. Much too skinny."

I smiled for real that time, and did as she said.

I would talk to Sessho-maru later.

After dinner Sessho-maru took me to my rooms to get my things. I got a change of clothes and a toothbrush, as well as my most recent novel, "The Great Gatsby" and another book I was re-reading, "The Merchant of Venice".

He's offered to have Sango send up everything, but I'd protested. It was pointless, since my room was practically on our way. Besides, I'd wanted a chance to ask Sessho-maru about how he'd found me.

While I was picking out a shirt to go with my white skirt for the next day, I asked, "What ever happened to the clothes I was wearing when you found me?"

Sessho-maru was out on the balcony. His voice drifted into me, "I believe Kaede threw them out, they were destroyed." He came in, the white drapes swirling in as well with the wind. "Why do you ask?"

"I've been thinking about that night you found me a lot lately..." I confessed. "And I was wondering...why didn't the guards find me that night? If I was at the front gates?"

Sessho-maru just stared at me, and I began to think he was angry with me. His mouth opened to respond, when a third voice interrupted our conversation.

"Well, that's the question, isn't it?" A woman stood in the open balcony doorway, shadowed from the light within the room. She stepped further into the warm glow of the lamps. "But unlike you, I already have my answer." It was Kagura...

Sessho-maru stiffened. "You are supposed to be upstairs in the antechamber...checking the room than standing guard."

"Well, I would have been waiting up there for you, but you were late for dinner because of that stupid old boyfriend of hers. So I came down for a visit. Did you know your balcony," She was addressing me now. Sessho-maru moved a bit in front of me, protection I was grateful for. Kagura wasn't acting like herself...she was scaring me. "Is exactly below his?" She switched her attention back to Sessho-maru. "It's very rude, you know, to be late. Especially on a night like tonight, when I have things to...take care of..."

Sessho-maru was practically growling. Something was wrong. I put a hand on his back, for his support as well as my own.

"I never thought it would be you Kagura." He said lowly.

What? What was going on?

"Don't be silly. It wasn't. And I am not here for you." She said breezily. Then she grinned more dangerously, contrasting with her light tone. "I've just come to get something back. Something of Naraku's has run away, and he misses it terribly..."

I felt the muscles of his back tense beneath my hand. "No." He said, icy as ever.

"Stand aside." Kagura said sharply.

"No." He said again, standing rigid and cold. Suddenly Kagura was right in front of him, and he lunged at her smoothly, pushing her out to the balcony. I stood in shock for a moment, still processing what was happening. Then I grabbed the first thing in sight: my old white erase board (just in case I had to defend myself), and followed them out.

Sessho-maru had Kagura pinned to the railing, holding her still, but keeping her from falling at the same time.

"I will show you no mercy but this. If you leave now," He said calmly. "Without Kagome and do not come back, I will let you live. Or you can keep fighting and I will kill you. She is never going back to him. You will not take her, I will not allow it."

"Where? Ithaca?" I was so confused...what was he talking about? Who was Naraku? And what did he have to do with me?

"Make your choice." Sessho-maru said coldly, his hand around her throat never loosening.

"All right..." She said finally. "I choose...neither!!" And she quickly twisted away, coming at me.

Sessho-maru, thinking only of me, rushed at her from behind, but she dropped into a graceful, arching kick. I watched as he fell back, his head hitting the metal railing, and then hitting the stone floor.

I cried out, but Kagura had me, so I smacked her with the white board a few times, but she easily snatched it and threw it off the balcony.

"Sessho-maru!!" I screamed, but he was so still...but then he groaned, and began to try and sit up. "Stay there, stay still..." I called, as Kagura yanked me inside. I wanted to yell at him to save me, to DO something...I could feel a wild panic building inside me, and dread at the thought of wherever she was taking me... "Please Sessho-maru...you're hurt...don't move...I don't want you hurt...please stay still...ok?" My voice faded to a whisper as Kagura slammed the glass doors shut. "Sessho-maru...please..."

And then I felt something hit my head, and I dropped, and everything was dark.

* * *

Review if you please!!! And if you don't please I'd really appreciate if you did it anyway...but only if you want to be nice to a poor little authoress...guilt guilt... 


	10. Chapter Ten: Remembering

Readers,

Sorry about the short update, but I decided to give you two short ones, one before and after spring break.

Thank you to all who are still reading!!

Amy-lalalaaaaaaaaaa

**Dreams of Memories**

**Chapter Ten: Remembering**

When I woke I almost thought I hadn't. It was pitch blank and damp all around. I could hear dripping...and maybe the distant sound of water...it sounded like I was in a large room judging by the echo.

'_Ok, Kagome_.' I thought. '_Just keep it together_...'

Something about this darkness frightened me immensely...and it felt far too familiar. And not in a comfortable way either. I was vaguely relieved I didn't remember what had happened here, because quivers of fear were already moving like lightening through me.

My breath was too loud; I was taking in gasping lung-fulls of cold air. I stopped myself, and forced my breaths to calm down.

I had been sitting leaning against what I supposed was a wall. I sat forward, and felt behind me. 'Rock.' The surface of the stone was jagged and angled, water dripping and gathering. I followed the water up with my hands at I stood, and promptly hit my head on something. My head burst into pain, and I fell to the ground, ears ringing. I must have still been sore from being knocked out. Once I'd regained relative control, I felt upwards to see what I'd ran into with my skull: it was a stalactite.

I was in some sort of cave.

What if it was by the lake? What if it would flood while I was trapped inside? My breathing was becoming erratic again, so I drew more even breaths and sat again.

I took a moment to calm down, then got on my hands and knees. I began to crawl, feeling with my hands. I felt ahead straight for what seemed like ten minutes, but I probably didn't get that far, since I was most likely going in a circle. I couldn't tell which way I was going.

Eventually my fingers encountered a new texture. I explored it with the pads of my finger tips. Wood...worn, splintery wood...perpendicular to the rocky, uneven ground. I felt up it carefully, I didn't want to hit my head again.

There was a small rectangular winow about two thirds of the way up the door, with cool metal bars, and spaces of about four inches between them. I was in a cell. I pressed my face to the small openings. There was no light outside.

I sighed, and sat back down in front of the door.

'_What am I going to do?_' I wailed inside my head.

Then I heard it. A faint echo different from the liquid ones. A solid noise. Like a footstep. Somewhere out in the dark. I froze, and then rose quietly, to peek out through the bars. Another faint step sounded.

The steps were creeping along, as if whoever it was was listening to see if I'd noticed them.

The steps stopped for awhile. I stayed frozen, my heart pounding loudly inside me.

"I see you've woken up." The voice came from behind me. It was smooth and slithering, like a snake trying to charm its prey before it struck.

I swallowed a scream, and fell back, pressing against the wooden door.

A strong hand, as chilled as the walls around us, clamped onto my neck, holding me in place. "You've been very ungrateful." The voice was still hissing, almost mildly, but I was too used to reading Sessho-maru's cool tones to ignore the anger radiating off his words. "You took something from me when you left. And you lost it in the water. I know. I was watching you, hoping you'd drown. That storm saved you, you know, if you'd gotten to shore while I could see you I would have caught you...and wrung your little neck..." He breathed sharply in after the last few words, as if imagining it. "Oh, how you would have twisted..." His voice turned back to calculating and cruel. "But now maybe I shall take something of yours..."

His other clammy hand went to trail along my stomach, where he traced a slightly protruding bone of my rib cage through my shirt. I shivered, trying to shrink away. "Maybe a rib would do nicely. Maybe I shall take one of those." His sharp nails were now grazing along the curve of my side. "Or maybe two...you know I loved it very much, and you lost it. Maybe two bones will make up for it..." There was no change in his voice, but his breathing was becoming rapid, as if he were preparing to rip my rib right from my body.

A small cry of fear escaped me.

His hand suddenly left my side, but the other stayed at my throat.

"Maybe not gone completely...you were like this at the beginning. You are like new now...you shall stay for a while." He mused aloud. Then as quickly as he'd come, he was gone.

I could still feel his hand on my throat.

I sank to the floor, not caring that the rough wood of the door scraped against my shoulder blades.

The memories I'd been holding in flooded me, overwhelming, and I could barely remember to breathe as they filled my head.

_He was there, and my mind couldn't comprehend what was happening. His eyes glinted blue in the absolute dark...how was that possible? How was this possible? I screamed no over and over, but he didn't stop... My screams were echoing back at me, louder and louder, as I scratched and scratched, but he was possessed. He was slamming my back against the rocky ground. He would never stop, and I knew it. In my head I retreated from the violence, from the pain bursting in me. And I was silent._

_Darkness all around...sitting in a corner, shaking from anxiety and chills, waiting for him to come back, wishing he would never, but knowing he would...mind numb from shock, I didn't cry anymore, I tried not to make a sound, tried to blend into the dark and stony walls...yet he always found me..._

_Working relentlessly at the small hole in the corner, where the wall and floor met. The water pooled there and drained slowly, wearing away at the rock. I helped it with my nails and my knuckles and my fingers. I eventually hit looser shale after what seemed like an eternity of rock, and began breaking off pieces, pulling them out._

_I slid through the small opening, breathing hard, but trying not to make a sound. He would hear, he would see, he would know. He always knew...but then there was water, and I was sliding through it, and I swam out into a larger cavern, lit up from moonlight reflecting in from the cave. I saw a man crouched at the edge of the opposite bank, little more that a black shape, blue eyes reflecting like a cats in the dark...I swam and swam, and came out the cave to see the most amazing scene. The stars and the open lake, and in the distance, warm lights of a large building..._

_I was so tired, and I was floating...when lightning split the sky...and the wind picked up and suddenly I was beneath the dark water...and I couldn't see the stars anymore...I was so tired...I felt ground beneath me, and I was stumbling, across the rocky shore, onto grass, through the mud…_

And with a flash, I was back to myself again, crying loudly, and as soon as I realized it I became silent again. He would hear me, he always did. So I laid there, tears silently blending with the cave water, pooling into puddles on the floor. For a moment I had hope, but then realized, they pooled because they had nowhere to go now. The drain had been plugged.


	11. Chapter Eleven: Splintering

Readers,

I am the worst author. The end. I have a bunch of excuses as to why this wasnt posted earlier, but I would rather not bore you. Just know that if anyone has still stuck with this story I love them forever. Also, anyone reading for the first time, much love to you too.

Amy

**Dreams of Memories**

**Chapter Eleven: Splintering**

My tears had finally dried up.

I pulled my self together and sat up gingerly, making sure there were no low hanging stalactites first. Right now was not the time to fall apart.

I felt hollow, and completely hopeless. I didn't like it. I had been becoming happy before. I guess there was truth in that saying; ignorance was bliss. But now was not the time to dwell on things that couldn't be changed now. I had to get out of there somehow, and I couldn't count on anyone to rescue me but myself. So I began to think.

I could not use the drain. And I could be sure that Naraku had reinforced any other weak spots in the cave. I wasn't foolish enough to try the same way twice.

Then it hit me. If I had been at the door how had Naraku gotten in? I'd heard his steps…

Maybe….maybe there was another door? Maybe I could figure a way out of that one.

So if I felt along the wall eventually I would have to run into it….right?

I began to crawl back the way I'd come, towards where I'd first heard Naraku's creeping steps.

I moved cautiously, using all my senses to feel around me. I flinched at every drop of water that echoed throughout the cave, worried it was a footstep.

I didn't know how long I had been crawling, but finally my hand hit something rough. I raised my hands to explore it fully. In my eagerness I pressed too firmly against the old jagged door, and felt a splinter tear into my skin.

I swallowed a gasp of pain, and bit my lip, pulling back from the door. I explored the wound with the fingertips of my other hand. The splinter was huge, buried about a half inch deep into my palm. I could feel the warm tickle that meant blood was dripping down my hand across my wrist.

Still biting my lip, to keep myself quiet, I pulled the shard of wood out slowly, trying to keep it at the same angle it went in, to avoid ripping more of my flesh. It came free fairly easily, but upon feeling the jagged tear it left, there were smaller splinters still there. I grimaced, and began to yank them out using my nails as makeshift tweezers.

I was so concentrated on my task that I didn't notice the faint light entering the room, until I could see my hand, and heard light footfalls right outside the door. I jumped to my feet in fear, but the face that appeared between the door's bars was not Naraku's.

It was Kagura, and the light was small lantern swinging from her hip. Anger boiled up in my stomach at the sight of her.

"You!" I practically spat. "What do you want?"

She raised an eyebrow cooly, reminding me for all the world of Sesshou-maru.

"Oh my. You aren't upset with me are you?" She said dryly.

I glared at her defiantly. "I thought you were there to protect us. How could you betray Sesshou-maru like that!"

The taunt in her eyes faded. She didn't meet my eyes, and instead her gaze landed on my hand, still dripping blood.

She tore a long strip of cloth from her sleeve. She held it between the bars. "Here…from one prisoner to another."

Surprised, I took it from her fingers. She was trapped too? But she could come and go from this place…

"Thanks." I said, but when I looked up the light was already fading, down what I could now see due to Kagura's lantern was a narrow tunnel. I cried out, hissing, trying to be quiet and loud at the same time. "Wait!"

In what seemed like mere seconds she was back at the door, grabbing me through the bars, her hand clawing over my mouth. "Shut up! He'll hear you!" Her eyes were wild with fear, although the rest of her face was set in her usual expression of stony indifference.

I managed to nod, and she let me go. "Kagura…please…"

She looked at me coldly.

"I know he could kill you…but please…just tell Sesshou-maru where I am. Just find him…and tell him where I am. Please!"

I was going to cry soon, I had to get out. If I had to stay here again…I couldn't.

She pursed her lips at me. "The problem is, I'm not worried that my life is at stake, nor yours. It is my sister that would suffer." And she swept away.

As the darkness closed in around me again, I sat slowly, winding the cloth around my injured hand. So Naraku had Kagura's sister. I wondered if she was in another cave, just like mine, in the dark and alone, waiting quietly for Naraku to come. I shivered in pity.

There was nothing I could do for her. Unless Kagura told Sesshou-maru where I was…then maybe we could rescue her too.

I shook my head. I was being foolish. Kagura would not, as she saw it, sacrifice her sister's life for my freedom.

I was on my own.

Ok, I thought, I just need to find another way to escape. It only took me, oh, say, a year last time? I almost sobbed in despair and frustration, but swallowed thickly.

All right, so there are no exits via the corners of the walls anymore. That leaves two doors.

Two old, rusty wooden doors…I almost leapt to my feet, before I remembered the stalactites. I turned on my hands and knees to the door and stood. I felt along the place where the stone met the hinges, and where the hinges met the wood.

It was too much to hope that I could just break the hinges; they felt new, very smooth.

Maybe if I got a largish sharp rock, and just steadily hit the hinges with it, they would eventually break…not the most sophisticated plan, but it could work.

But the noise, that would draw his attention. My hope sank rapidly dwindling back into despair.

My mind raced, trying to think of some quiet way to bang a rock against metal. I began to laugh quietly and bitterly, almost sobbing more than laughing. I was such a fool, thinking I could get away from Naraku with such an idiotic plan. I covered my mouth with my hand to stop the small noises I was making.

Kagura's torn sleeve that was wrapped around my hand was smooth. Definitely silk, and it smelled of some type of flower…a very light scent, but it calmed me nonetheless. I could feel dampness where the blood was seeping through a little. That splinter had been huge…the size of the blade of a butter knife almost….

I froze, felt frantically on the ground for the splinter, and grabbed it, holding it to me. This small splinter…it would be my hope.

The door was rotting, I could peel away piece from piece…and the best part was I could put the pieces back again in the door like a puzzle, to disguise my efforts. Plus, this splinter was sharp. I could imagine plunging it into him as he tried to press me down on the floor, jagged rocks tearing the skin on my back. I could kill Naraku.

For the first time, I had something to hurt him. I had a way, I had hope.

I could kill Naraku.

Please, please, please review!


End file.
